Center Consoles & Birdsall Marine
Let’s talk about center consoles.
There is much debate on the subject, but the prime contenders for the first boats to commercially incorporate the innovation seem to be Boston Whaler in 1963, & the Aquasport 222 in 1964. The beauty of the concept came from the fact that the operator could stand & drive from the center of the boat, while enjoying the handy walk-around room provided.
It took a few years, but center consoles eventually became so popular that they generated a whole new genre in the boating business. Console mounted T-tops were the next innovation inspired by the design, allowing for more fishing room without the restrictions of gunwhale mounted legs used for Bimini and other full coverage designs. Over time, hull sizes grew and grew, until they included the 40-plus foot giants available today. Actually, Birdsall Marine Design was started in 1979 specifically for the manufacturing of high quality aluminum T-tops for center console boats. We were one of the very first companies to do so, and have been in the game for a long time now!
Over the years, as T-tops sizes increased relative to the sizes of the boats that they were attached to, the importance of the structural integrity of center consoles themselves became more and more apparent. The strength and durability, not to mention operator and passenger safety, provided by proper center console design and construction were and remain important. The failure of some boat manufacturers to recognize this fact led us to start manufacturing our own line of replacement center consoles in various sizes. The strength of helm, control, and grab handle mountings are very important – even without the consideration of a T-top! Rather than concentrate on price point engineering, Birdsall Marine Design chose to produce the most reasonable compromise that included proper structural integrity. That is why our consoles include high quality waterproof foam cored sides and control mounting surfaces, along with biaxial fiberglass reinforcements – features that cheap units ignore in order to lower their costs.
We have kept up with the evolution of screen mounting sizes and other features that modern equipment requires. Our designs also provide efficient dimensional proportions that all of our many years of experience have proven to allow for additional room in many different sized vessels, both for OEM and replacement applications. Check out our various models to determine if we can provide solutions that add both safety and value to your boat.
-Zed Bennett
